nielsen ratings(fast national numbers for tuesday, september 20, 2011)

Here are the highlights of the 13 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Time-zone adjusted numbers from Nielsen pushed "Glee" from a 3.8 to a 4.0 in adults 18-49, "New Girl" from a 4.7 to a 4.8.]

FOX (8.69 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.9, #1) was the network to beat on the first Tuesday of the new season. The network offered up the return of "Glee" (8.91 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 3.8, #3) alongside the launch of "New Girl" (10.08 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 4.7, #1) and the season opener to "Raising Hope" (6.87 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 3.1, #5). "New Girl" is FOX's highest-rated fall sitcom debut in 10 years, since "The Bernie Mac Show" on 11/14/01.

Next up was ABC (11.65 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.4, #3) with its mix of "Dancing With the Stars: Meet the Cast" (10.74 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.0, #11), "Dancing With the Stars" (14.54 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.8, #7) and the return of "Body of Proof" (9.65 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.3, #T8).

In Nielsen's 56 metered markets, household results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 2.6/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.8/7; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.3/8; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.7/5.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.8/4; "Late Show," 0.8/4; "Nightline," 1.0/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.6/3.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.4/5 in metered-market households) tied CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.4/5). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.6/4 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.5/3).

At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.8/3 in metered-market households and a 0.3/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Here are the highlights of the 12 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (9/21/10):

The comedies were down 11.4% and 28.6%, respectively, from the final hour of "Hell's Kitchen" a year ago (see below for specifics).

Second place then went to CBS (16.06 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.4, #2) with the season premieres of "NCIS" (18.92 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.9, #3), "NCIS: Los Angeles" (15.69 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.4, #4) and a second hour of "NCIS: Los Angeles" (13.60 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.0, #6).

Next up was ABC (13.35 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.1, #3) with night two of "Dancing With the Stars" (12.00 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.6, #8), a second hour of "Dancing With the Stars" (18.31 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 4.3, #2) and the launch of "Detroit 187" (9.75 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T9).

"Detroit" was off 3.8% from last year's launch of "The Forgotten" (see below for specifics).

In late-night metered market ratings, ABC's "Nightline" (3.5/8) took top honors over NBC's "Leno" (2.7/7) and CBS's "Letterman" (2.9/8). Rounding out the night then were "Kimmel" (1.8/6) on ABC "Ferguson" (1.4/5) on CBS and "Fallon" (1.3/5) and "Daly" (0.8/3) on NBC.